Nippon Professional Baseball Orix Buffaloes close to agreement with outfielder Edward OlivaresAccording to multiple reports from Japan and Venezuela. Olivares signed a minor league contract with the Mets last month, but it appears New York will release (or has released) Olivares so he can pursue this opportunity with the Osaka-based Buffaloes .
Olivares hit just .224/.291/.333 with five homers in 196 PA with the Pirates last season. Connor Joe and Brian Reynolds in the first half of the season. Olivares made his final MLB appearance for Pittsburgh on July 7. The Pirates designated Olivares for assignment and subsequently removed him from the 40-man roster in August.
After making his major league debut in San Diego in 2020, Olivares played 217 of 285 MLB games in a Kansas City uniform before the Padres traded him to the Royals at that season’s trade deadline. The Royals’ tenure was highlighted by a .270/.322/.410 slash line (106 wRC+) in 559 games in 2022-23, with Olivares making 385 appearances in a semi-regular role in 2023 as Kansas City’s Left fielder. The outfield-starved Pirates were inspired by this performance to trade Olivares in December 2023, but he was unable to continue that performance during his brief time in Pittsburgh.
Recently, Olivares performed well in the Venezuelan Winter League, which likely caught the attention of Buffalo. Despite an agreement with the Mets, it’s not uncommon for MLB teams to simply release a player from a minor league contract if the player is relatively low on the depth chart. Olivares also has no minor league options, which would complicate his chances of staying with New York even if he makes the Mets’ active roster at some point.
Entering his age-29 season, Olivares looks set to begin a new chapter in his career. he will join Jordan Diaz and Luis Perdomo With two non-Japanese players on the Buffalo roster, Osaka looks to rebound from a disappointing 63-77-3 record in 2024.
